Laos, Cambodia and Thailand

My name is James Francis i am 23 and travelling round south east asia. I live in England near london and it feel this is a great site to give me the opportunity to meet and get to know some people who are travelling to the same areas before i go. More information on destinations and dates are below.

i will be in Vientiane (Loas) from the 27th of december until the 2nd of January (completely alone will know no one and be quite daunting so if your there for that i'll be very happy, then from the 2nd of January until the 18th of February i will be in Phuket (Thailand) (6 weeks volunteeriing) which is exciting, after that from the 19th of February until the 3rd of March i will be off to phnom Pehn (Cambodia) for my 2nd 6 weeks of volunteering, then (gosh this is long winded) from the 3rd of March until the 13th of April i will be in Siem Reap (Cambodia) for 10 days on my own just travelling around and last but by no means least i will be in Bangkok (Thailand) from the 13th of April until the 20th of April.

Hey manI'm traveling around SE Asia from Feb - June/July time; first time and doing it alone (aaaaargh!). I will most likely be in Cambodia around the same time as yourself! Let me know if joining forces sounds like a good idea.Ollie

Sounds good mate. When u going to be in cambodia then do u know dates man. Whereabouts do u live as we could most likely meet up for a pint or 2 before we go. I can't wait I been cambodia before and proper love it over there had to get back to south east Asia again. Hope to hear from u soon ollie.

First off, you're not going to have any trouble meeting travelers in those cities. I've been to all those locations and had a blast in each spot. However, I do find it a bit odd that you chose Vientiane as the starting location. If you are going to be in Laos for new years the one city you want to be in is Vang Vieng, without a doubt. The party scene there is epic and you will meet loads of travelers from all over the world. It may not be as wild as normal as the tubing scene, yes tubing, in Vang Vieng has got a bit hectic over the last year and they have had to close a number of bars. However, I am still pretty sure you will have a much better time there than Vientiane. Most travelers end up extending their stay in Laos for Vang Vieng alone. Plus if I remember correctly its only about a 2-3 hour bus ride from Vientiane.

Phuket should be interesting as a volunteer. I was only there for a night but it seems like it high speed "stereotypical" thailand. Nevertheless, I am sure there is much to explore and great places. Keep in mind it will be the most westernized of all your stops, excluding bangkok of course.

I lived in Phnom Penh for a few months volunteering. Travelers either love it or hate it. The poverty is up front and in your face. I grew to love this city within the first week. The people are extremely friendly (same as Laotians) and welcoming to tourists, especially those interested in spending time in their country for more reasons than cheap travel. Just be mindful of your surroundings when going out at night, nothing to be afraid of just exercise caution. Siem Reap is filled with great temples. By the time you get here you will have already heard a bunch about it during your time in PP.

Bangkok is wild. You'll have a blast. The hardest part of a solo trip is the first week or so and getting accustomed to meeting fellow travelers or other volunteers. There will be heaps of people doing the same trip you are that you'll meet at the beginning and run into at the end. Just don't piss off local authorities in any country and you should be good.

Julian, Cheers for getting back to me found what you said useful and take it on board. I may spend some days in Vang Vieng while i am in Loas now i think i'd heard of it before. Thanks for your help i only leave in about 3 weeks now so its getting close and interesting. Cheers again fella.